Best Eastern Caribbean island to buy rum?

[kay1864]

(Or other liquor for that matter...)

 

Back in 2004 I found better prices on scotch in San Juan PR than on St Thomas / Barbados / etc. Might have been a fluke though.

 

But it's been a while, so things could have changed. Although in 2012 I wasn't at all impressed with the prices in Nassau (only one duty-free liquor stores, and prices equivalent to what I pay in Atlanta).

 

So anyway...between St Thomas, San Juan PR, Grand Turk, and Nassau...

 

- which has the best rum prices?

- which has the best liquor prices?

 

Thanks!

[fla_momuv3]

John Watling rum in Nassau is worth the price, and is not available in the U.S. We got ours at the distillery .

 

 

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[golfb4cruzing]

We get all our liquor/liquer on St. Maarten.

[RuthlessBoss]

I get mine at the closest store near the ship.:D

[jwalk03]

On my last cruise I compared liquor prices on ship and in each port. St. Thomas was the cheapest on all of the brands I checked (Jager, Captain Morgan, Bacardi, and Sheridan's.) St. Maarten was also VERY VERY cheap. Like within a $1 of the St. Thomas prices on everything but Sheridans which $2 more.

 

San Juan, St. Kitts, and St. Lucia were cheaper than back home, but not as cheap as the others. Barbados was not that cheap at all.

 

St. Thomas and St. Maarten were both cheaper than the ship prices as well.

[FireEater]

John Watling rum that I tried a few months ago in Nassau was good. I forget the name of it though. I was not sure if the price was a good deal or not, so I held off and waited to find it on the ship. Big mistake. They did not carry it. Well at least the ship I was on.

[nodogkisses]

John Watling rum that I tried a few months ago in Nassau was good. I forget the name of it though. I was not sure if the price was a good deal or not, so I held off and waited to find it on the ship. Big mistake. They did not carry it. Well at least the ship I was on.

 

Next time you're in Nassau and don't feel like going up to the distillery, go to the liquor store near the port building. They sell John Watling's rum there, too.

[FireEater]

Next time you're in Nassau and don't feel like going up to the distillery, go to the liquor store near the port building. They sell John Watling's rum there, too.

 

Thanks. Good to know...

[celyvabeach]

Next time you're in Nassau and don't feel like going up to the distillery, go to the liquor store near the port building. They sell John Watling's rum there, too.

 

 

Thanks!

[Scotch Mist]

Any suggestions which is the best place to go liquor shopping in Aruba, Curacao, Jamaica or Dominican Republic?

 

Freedom b2b Sept 2014

Splendor Jan 2014

Breeze Sept 2013

Imagination Sept 2013

Triumph Sept 2008

Pride Sept 2007

Miracle Sept 2006

[sgttami]

I've been going to the Caribbean and buying liquor there for over 40 years...The best prices are still St. Thomas overall.

 

Ditto for jewelery too!

[begandme]

If I want to bring a couple bottles home, when reboarding the ship would carnival hold the liquor and return it at the end of the cruise?

[cbCRR]

When bringing liquor back on the ship, you will check it in. They deliver it to your cabin on the last evening.

Depends on what ports you visit on the amount you can bring back to US without getting taxes. I've always brought back 4-6 bottles when there was a 1 liter limit, but never had to pay extra duty.

I like the John Watlings rum too.

 

 

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[realjd]

Duty free coming into the US is usually 1L per person or 2L from the Caribbean. It's not illegal to bring back more than that, you'll just owe import duty. That said, I routinely bring back more than the limit and have never been charged. The duty is less than a dollar per liter so they usually don't bother to collect it. Do declare every ounce though because it's smuggling otherwise.

 

And John Watlings rum really is good. Why spend money on stuff like Bacardi that you can get at home when you can bring back something not available in the US?

[jwalk03]

Duty free coming into the US is usually 1L per person or 2L from the Caribbean. It's not illegal to bring back more than that, you'll just owe import duty. That said, I routinely bring back more than the limit and have never been charged. The duty is less than a dollar per liter so they usually don't bother to collect it. Do declare every ounce though because it's smuggling otherwise.

 

And John Watlings rum really is good. Why spend money on stuff like Bacardi that you can get at home when you can bring back something not available in the US?

 

Its 1L per adult (21+) or up to 6L if purchased in St. Thomas (1 of the 6L has to have been manufactured in the Virgin Islands, otherwise the limit is 5L.)

 

On my last cruise I brought back 9 bottles purchased in various ports and declared all of it with no issues. I have never seen them make anyone pay duty, but who knows, I'm sure they do sometimes. Also depending on the state you are returning to if you have too many bottles you may be classified as an importer which requires a license that is NOT CHEAP, so be careful not to go overboard. I beleive the limit in Florida is 20L, but Im not positive about that.

[jwalk03]

Any suggestions which is the best place to go liquor shopping in Aruba, Curacao, Jamaica or Dominican Republic?

 

Freedom b2b Sept 2014

Splendor Jan 2014

Breeze Sept 2013

Imagination Sept 2013

Triumph Sept 2008

Pride Sept 2007

Miracle Sept 2006

 

Def not Aruba or Curacao (except maybe Curacao from Curacao!) Liquor is natoriously expensive in these ports, and from what I have been told the ship prices are actually higher on this cruise than on others because there is not a cheap port option. (The ship has a gurantee that that will match any price in port, so if all the port prices are higher they actually raise the prices on board as well.)

 

If you are doing a B2B you should compare to see if the prices change from one cruise over the other. Would be interesting to see actual evidence of this.

 

My guess would be that Jamaica would be the cheapest of these choices.

[realjd]

Its 1L per adult (21+) or up to 6L if purchased in St. Thomas (1 of the 6L has to have been manufactured in the Virgin Islands, otherwise the limit is 5L.)

 

On my last cruise I brought back 9 bottles purchased in various ports and declared all of it with no issues. I have never seen them make anyone pay duty, but who knows, I'm sure they do sometimes. Also depending on the state you are returning to if you have too many bottles you may be classified as an importer which requires a license that is NOT CHEAP, so be careful not to go overboard. I beleive the limit in Florida is 20L, but Im not positive about that.

 

I asked at LAX once what amount would get them to actually charge duty. The officer said at a case (12 bottles), and then that's also when they start asking questions to see if it's a commercial import instead of personal use. YMMV of course, and a cruise port is a different beast than a major international airport.

 

I didn't know there was a limit coming back from the USVI. Are they outside of the US customs zone? it know Puerto Rico is considered a domestic destination so no limits carrying home from there.

[begandme]

Thanks all for the info...now I must try that Watlings rum.

[jwalk03]

I asked at LAX once what amount would get them to actually charge duty. The officer said at a case (12 bottles), and then that's also when they start asking questions to see if it's a commercial import instead of personal use. YMMV of course, and a cruise port is a different beast than a major international airport.

 

I didn't know there was a limit coming back from the USVI. Are they outside of the US customs zone? it know Puerto Rico is considered a domestic destination so no limits carrying home from there.

 

USVI is duty free, Puerto Rico is not. So yes there is a limit on duty free from USVI (though it's a much higher limit, than anywhere else since they have a special exemption.). Since Puerto Rico is not duty free there is no limit, but the prices are also not nearly as cheap.

[JawjaFatBoy]

We did the Liberty Eastern itinerary last December and found the best prices overall in St. Thomas. That said, I did find a few good deals in San Juan and Grand Turk as well.

 

The difference between the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico is that the liquor is duty free in VI and tax free in PR.

 

We brought back 13 liters, all declared, with no problems. The nice lady at A.H. Riise did ask while checking me out if I was on a ship or flying as I had a couple of bottles of 151 rum which are not allowed on airplanes.

 

I did have to pay duty in Jacksonville in 2012 off the Fascination. The limit was 2 liters and we brought back 8. I had to pay $11. It wouldn't have been that much, but the duty is based on the proof of the liquor. Anything over 80 proof is higher - how much depends on the proof - and I had to pick that trip to bring back some Booker's bourbon (126 proof) and Knob Creek Single Barrel (120 proof).

[always_wright]

You folks have it lucky! Bringing liquor back into Canada is subject to steep Border Levies of $15-$20 per bottle on top of Import duty and taxes. While it still works out to be less than the astronomical prices of beer and liquor in Ontario I lose the "I got a great deal!" bragging rights. Boooo!

 

 

:(

[FireEater]

 

Wow...just curious, does one lose taste buds after sipping one of these? :D

[dorisis]

I sometimes find liquor is cheaper from the ship store than on the islands.

[Thom524]

Any suggestions which is the best place to go liquor shopping in Aruba, Curacao, Jamaica or Dominican Republic?

 

Freedom b2b Sept 2014

Splendor Jan 2014

Breeze Sept 2013

Imagination Sept 2013

Triumph Sept 2008

Pride Sept 2007

Miracle Sept 2006

While on Grand Cayman I developed a taste for cream rum and by far the best I have yet tasted is Sangster cream rum and as far as I know it is only sold in Jamaica.

[6rugrats]

While on Grand Cayman I developed a taste for cream rum and by far the best I have yet tasted is Sangster cream rum and as far as I know it is only sold in Jamaica.

 

Sangster's Jamaica Rum Cream may be purchased online, and it's also sold at NLC Liquor stores in Canada.

Edited June 22, 2014 by 6rugrats